Category: Travel

Chanute AFB Illinois

I’m coming up on the 34TH Anniversary of my graduation from USAF BMT. That stands for United States Air Force Basic Military Training. I was stationed at Lackland AFB in San Antonio Texas from June 13TH 1985 (early in the morning – like right after Midnight) to July 29TH 1985 (at dawn). It was the roughest and toughest 46 days / 6½ weeks of my life at that point. (I had just turned 18.)

On July 29TH 1985 (a Monday) I boarded a plane (with others) from San Antonio Texas to Champaign County Illinois. I got food poisoning on the plane. That was when full hot meals were still served on airplanes. After landing we were transported from the airport to Chanute Air Force Base (near Rantoul Illinois). Everyone else was taken to their respective squadrons for in-processing. I was taken to the Base Hospital where I spent a couple of days and nights recuperating.

On the 3RD day I rose again – out of my hospital bed fully recovered, and I was released to my squadron. I moved-in to my dormitory room – my home for the next 3 months. School started soon for me. I would soon learn how to be an Aircraft Maintenance Systems Analyst (think “Statistician”). I was in a class of 4.

Today – 34 years later – I am an Analyst / Statistician, and I work for the United States Air Force.

Animals Career Driving History Life Military Music Radio Travel

My Top 5 Hits RETRO – 2004

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date July 12, 2019

Every Friday night I post the Top 5 of one of my classic hit music charts based on personal preference and influenced by radio airplay from either 10, 15, 20, or 30 years ago this weekend (rotating each week).

It’s the 2ND Friday of the month, so I go back 15 years ago. Here it is – for the week ending Sunday July 11TH 2004:

“Ocean Avenue” – Yellowcard
“Meant To Live” – Switchfoot
“The Reason” – Hoobastank
“Hey Mama” – The Black Eyed Peas
“Pieces Of Me” – Ashlee Simpson

15 years ago this weekend seems so long ago. I had recently flipped away from electronic dance music and returned to my roots in calmer pop music. I actually don’t remember much about 2004, and I really choose to not remember much about that year. It was a forgettable year. I wasn’t happy at work, and I wasn’t particularly happy at home either. I came home to my cat every afternoon, and he adored me. He was my best friend at the time. I still miss him over 12 years after his passing. #Boots

It’s interesting what I discover when I review old E-Mails. 15 years ago TODAY – the 12TH of July of 2004 (a Monday) I drove about 650 miles from a hotel very near Walt Disney World (like a mile away) to a suburb south of New Orleans. I was TDY (military term = temporary duty) at NAS JRB New Orleans during that week. According to my extensive records I filled-up with gas twice that day during my drive westward, and I paid $1.959 and $1.919 per gallon for gas.

It’s halftime my friends. I’ll be back on Sunday afternoon and Monday night with two more blog posts for this weekend. Enjoy your Saturday. Thanks for going RETRO with me !

Tags 2004

Career Football God Home Life Military Music Politics Sports Television Travel Weather

Weekend Kickoff Mini-Thoughts

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date June 27, 2019
1 Comment on Weekend Kickoff Mini-Thoughts

Let’s try this again – a rapid-fire session of thoughts in my mind right this minute:

Yesterday was not such a good day at work.
It only takes one person and a minute to ruin a whole work day.
I know that today will be a much better work day.
I know that God is always in control no matter where I go.
Sometimes during those not so good work days I forget that God is with me.
The past 12 years of my 34-year USAF career have been the best 12 years.
Is it a coincidence that Jesus Christ rescued and saved me 13 years ago ?
No coincidence, as God doesn’t do coincidences. He does intentionals.
Back on the homefront I enjoy relaxing in my 77°F living room.
I’m feeling good with my air conditioning taking care of business.
All of my modern technology is right here where it belongs.
If it’s summer then I’m watching “America’s Got Talent” and “Big Brother”.
I’ve never missed a single episode of either show since the beginning of both.
I’m also addicted to “Live PD” on Friday and Saturday nights.
There was a political debate on the NBCs last night.
I don’t get political online or offline.
As an apolitical person I’m in the minority fringes both online and offline.
I have very solid political beliefs, but I choose not to share them with anyone.
I’d rather talk about the weather.
I’m a weather expert, so I know what I’m talking about there.
I’ll even talk sports with you. Hail to the Redskins !
I’m so looking forward to the start of the NFL season.
I may go to a game this season – my Redskins against the Cowboys in Dallas.
33 years ago tomorrow I attended the first concert of my life.
I was 19 at the time, and this young teenybopper was at the final Wham! show.
That was at Wembley Stadium in London England.
Google it. It was June 28TH 1986, and I was there singing and dancing.
I’ve been to 100+ concerts since that first one – an average of about 3 per year.
My two years of living in England as an 18 to 20-year-old were wild and crazy.
I haven’t been back since.
July starts in just 4 days.
2019 is almost half over.
This whole decade of the 2010s (or #TwentyTeens) is almost over.
Will we all see better in 2020 ?
Will we all have the vision to love each other in 2020 ?
Will we change the world in 2020 ?
Time keeps on slippin’ slippin’ slippin’ – into the future.

Photography Travel

My Flickr Photostream

Happy Thursday June 20TH 2019. Let’s kickoff a fresh new weekend of blogging !

I’ve been uploading a lot of new photos to my Flickr site recently. Actually it’s been a very active past 7 months – since December. I’ve added 269 photos since the start of December. That’s the most active 7-month time-period since 2015. Now that I’m spending much less time on Facebook I’ve got plenty of time to populate my Flickr site with cool new photos.

I created my Flickr account in April 2011, and I’ve uploaded over 2,900 photos since then. Most of them are public. Some are not. They represent my “best of the best” photos. More than half of my photos won’t make it onto my Flickr site. They just aren’t good enough, but they are nevertheless treasured memories. They reside on my other photo sites that I don’t promote.

Can you believe that I have never signed-on to Instagram ? I’m happy with Flickr.

I’m currently adding photos from my first week of May vacation on Venice Beach Florida. I manually upload my photos one at a time – with captions. I think it’s the modern 21ST Century equivalent of scrapbooking. These are memories of a lifetime, so it’s my way to respect each photo and the precise moment in my life when I captured each memory.

My last 5 added photos always appear on the right-hand side panel of the web site edition of this blog at http://www.revchrismday.com.

If you wish to see more than that you can:
View my Flickr Photostream at – http://www.flickr.com/photos/cmday6567
View my Flickr Albums at – http://www.flickr.com/photos/cmday6567/albums

I’ll close with a photo that’s not good enough for my Flickr site. I captured this memory inside Everglades National Park on December 31ST 2016 at 3:01 PM. It’s a photo of my 2015 Honda Civic at the time parked in front of an open missile launch barn featuring an actual restored Nike Hercules Missile on static display. (I worked there as a volunteer tour guide every Saturday for two winter seasons.)